Build a Simple Water Storage Container for Your Horse Trailer

Having a supply of water in your trailer is useful for hot trail rides, all-day horse shows or camping trips.Photo by Alayne Blickle

This project is brilliant; it costs next to nothing and has great value. If you trailer much with your horses, having supply of water on hand is useful after hot trail rides or an all-day horse show. Plus, when I’m on the road with my horses I like to know that if I break down I’ve got water along for my horses.

Here’s how we made our water storage container:

Check around for a source of plastic drums. Only use drums that originally contained something safe, such as fruit syrup or other food grade products. Solvents or other chemicals may not be safe for this purpose. Sources for plastic drums would be industrial materials exchanges, feed stores, Craiglist, or other similar online lists.

(Top) The drums we got have snug, clamp-on lids--perfect for easy opening and closing when filling with water. (Bottom) Attach a hose faucet/valve to the outside of the drum if you want to be able to use a hose for your container.Photos by Alayne Blickle

The drums we got have snug, clamp-on lids--perfect for easy opening and closing when filling with water. Keep on the lookout for the right drums for your purpose.

Materials needed:

Plastic drum with removable lid

Plastic or brass hose faucet/valve (purchase at hardware store)

½ or ¾” threaded male to male coupler 2" long (plastic or brass) or hose adapter

Drill bit large enough to make a hole to put the coupler through the drum wall

The process:1) Thoroughly wash the inside of the drum to clean any residue.2) Drill a hole just large enough to put one side of the coupler through drum about 2” to 3” from the bottom. 3) Use the silicon or other waterproof non-toxic sealant along with the nuts and rubber washers to secure the coupler to the drum – this needs to be a water-tight seal.4) Attach the hose faucet/valve to the outside of the drum.

Tuck it in your horse trailer, fill with water and viola! You, your horses and a safe water supply are ready to head down the road.

About the Author

Alayne

Alayne Renée Blickle, a life-long equestrian and reining competitor, is the creator/director of Horses for Clean Water, an award winning, nationally acclaimed environmental education program. Well known for her enthusiastic, down-to-earth approaches, Alayne is an educator and photojournalist who has worked with horse and livestock owners for over 15 years teaching manure composting, pasture management, mud and dust control, water conservation, chemical use reduction and wildlife enhancement. She teaches and travels North America and writes for horse publications. Alayne and her husband raise and train their reining horses at their ranch in sunny Nampa, Idaho.

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